How to prepare a soldering iron for soldering

How to solder correctly with a soldering iron: video instructions on how a soldering iron works, soldering wires

To effectively join metal surfaces, it is best to resort to temperature effects. The simplest and most common method is soldering with a soldering iron. In this case, metal materials are joined under the influence of a local increase in temperature and welding at a lower temperature.

In order to correctly connect metal parts using a soldering iron, you need to know the main points that characterize the soldering process. To do this, it will be enough to read the article, watch the video lesson and try to master the technology in practice.

How does a soldering iron work?

Soldering devices that produce heat are called soldering irons. Depending on the heating method, they can be electric, gas, hot air, induction . Most often, electrical devices are used, the power of which is selected for soldering certain materials:

• to connect electronic components, the power of the soldering iron must be up to 40 V;
• for parts with thin walls up to 1 mm, a power of 80-100 W is required;
• workpieces with wall thicknesses of 2 mm or more require a device power above 100 W.

The most energy-intensive soldering irons include hammer devices , the power of which can reach up to 550 W. They can heat up to temperatures of 600C. Hammer soldering irons are used to connect massive parts.

small acoustic soldering iron The device has a low heat capacity, so it is used for fine soldering work.

In addition to the massiveness of metal products, the required power of a soldering iron is influenced by the thermal conductivity of the material being processed. For example, for copper products the device should be heated much more than for working with steel parts.

The optimal required temperature of the tip of the soldering device can be maintained either manually or automatically. Thyristor regulators are used for this.

Preparation for the soldering process

Before starting work, you need to prepare a soldering iron, materials, tools and workplace.

It is recommended to equip the work area with:

1. A stand on which the heated device will be placed. On it you will need to place flux, “crocodile” and pieces of foam rubber, which are needed to clean the tip.

2. A tripod on which will be placed: a holder for a soldering iron, a bath of rosin, clamps.

The set of necessary tools includes:

• files;
• round nose pliers;
• wire cutters;
• pliers;
• tweezers;
• sandpaper;
• knife.

Preparing the soldering iron

Before working with a soldering iron, its tip is given a certain shape . This is done using a file. The most used shapes are cut and corner. The knife type is used for soldering connector pins or several contacts of microcircuits.

The tip of the working tool must be evenly covered with solder . It will be difficult to solder with a “dirty” tip. Therefore, a cold soldering iron with a file must be cleaned down to the copper from which the tip is made.

After this, the device should be heated and sequentially touch the rosin and then the solder. This should be done several times, ensuring that the tip is evenly covered with solder. After this, you can begin to connect metal parts by soldering.

Flux preparation

Choosing the right flux is the solution to one of the important problems of soldering. It is necessary so that the soldered surfaces do not oxidize during heating. Otherwise, the joint will turn out unstable and loose. It can be damaged very easily. Therefore, the quality of the flux determines the difficulty or ease of the soldering process, and how firmly the material being processed will be connected.

Fluxes must be selected for the material prepared for soldering:

1. to connect wires and microcircuits . Externally, this crystalline transparent substance of a red-brown, red, yellow or orange hue is similar to amber.

2. For soldering hard-to-reach or inconveniently located parts, rosin-alcohol flux is used. To obtain it, rosin must be crushed to the state of sand and dissolved in denatured alcohol or technical alcohol. It is applied to the workpiece with a brush and stored in a tightly closed container.

3. For galvanized iron, flux LK-2 is used, which consists of ammonium chloride, zinc chloride, ethyl alcohol and rosin.

4. For stainless steel, phosphoric acid is used.

5. Active acid fluxes based on zinc chloride prepare the surface of resistant metals

6. For soldering steel, soldering acids and aqueous solutions based on zinc chloride are considered effective fluxes.

You should know that for soldering stainless steels, more active fluxes are required than for processing low-alloy and carbon materials. Cast iron must be soldered with high-temperature soldering, so an electric soldering iron will not cope with it.

Soldering alloys

Low-melting tin-lead alloys are used for electrical soldering and radio installation work. The most popular solders are POS-61, POS-50, POS-40, PSr-2, PSr-2.5.

It is very expensive to connect parts using pure tin, since this is a valuable material, so it is used quite rarely.

The best soldering quality is obtained after using solders that contain lead. However, this material is harmful.

To avoid holding hot solder in your hand while working, hold it with pliers or place it on a special device.

How to solder correctly with a soldering iron - tips, video

Before soldering, the surfaces of the parts to be processed are cleaned with sandpaper and degreased with gasoline or acetone. Then they need to be installed and secured in their original position. After this, you can warm up the soldering iron and start soldering in one of two main ways.

1. When applying solder to parts from a soldering iron , you first need to melt a certain amount of solder on the device, and then bring the tip to the connecting workpieces and press it. At this time, the flux should begin to boil and evaporate. At this time, use the tip of the device to distribute the solder along the joint.

2. When applying solder to the parts to be joined , first the workpieces themselves are heated using a soldering iron. Once they reach the required temperature, you will need to apply solder to the joint between the part and the soldering iron or onto the part. The melting solder will begin to fill the joint.

The choice of connection method depends on the nature of the work being performed. The first method is suitable for soldering small parts, and the second for connecting large products.

When working with a soldering iron, you must comply with some requirements:

1. It is good to warm up the device and the parts to be connected. If the solder smears and does not flow, then you need to increase the heating temperature of the soldering iron.
2. Residues of acid fluxes must be washed off after soldering. Otherwise, after some time the connection may be destroyed by corrosion. Alkaline substances can be used as a detergent.
3. Do not add too much solder during the soldering process. The seam should be slightly concave. Excess solder is removed by braiding or suction. If the tip of the device has acquired a metallic shine, then there is enough solder. The fact that there is a lot of solder is indicated by the changed shape of the tip.

A high-quality solder should shine brightly . Burnt solder looks dull, but in some cases it is acceptable. The spongy granular structure of the junction indicates insufficient temperature and an obvious defect.

How to solder wires

At the preparatory stage, the wires should be stripped, twisted and tinned:

• the wire is lowered into a bath of rosin;
• a drop of solder is distributed over the copper wires using a soldering iron;
• In order for the coating to be on all sides, during the tinning process the wire must be rotated and heated;
• The tinned end of the wire is dipped into heated solder, the excess of which is removed.

Single-core wires are cleaned to a shine before soldering. After this, they need to be dipped in rosin, connected, heated for a few seconds and solder applied. To ensure reliable insulation, a heat-shrinkable tube is placed on the exposed wire, which should be of a larger diameter. When exposed to high temperatures, it will shrink and form wire insulation.

If, due to the presence of enamel or varnish, the conductor does not want to tin, then regular aspirin can be used. To do this, you need to place the tablet on a plate and, pressing the conductor to it, warm it up for a few seconds. The tablet should begin to melt, and the acid released will destroy the varnish.

The oxides with which they are coated can prevent tinning on old wires The same aspirin tablet will help to cope with them.

To tinning an aluminum wire, you need “Flux for soldering aluminum.” It is universal, so it can be used to join metals with a chemically resistant oxide film. At the same time, in order to avoid corrosion, do not forget to clean the products from flux residues after soldering.

You should know that it is unacceptable to twist aluminum and copper wires together . They can only be fixed through an intermediate element, which can be another metal, a terminal clamp, or separation with washers.

Proper soldering with a soldering iron requires careful preparation of parts and tools. During the process itself, the solder layer must always be protected with flux. For various materials, a device of appropriate power and the required shape of the tip are selected. If the optimal temperature conditions are maintained and the parts are connected correctly, the soldering will be reliable and will serve for a long time.

Source: https://stanok.guru/metalloobrabotka/payka/kak-pravilno-payat-payalnikom-payka-provodov-i-video.html

How to learn to solder: step-by-step instructions, features and recommendations from professionals

A soldering iron is considered one of the most common tools that can be found in any owner’s home. It is not necessary to be a specialist and do soldering professionally. But every representative of the stronger sex must have general fundamental knowledge. Breaks in wires in electrical appliances, contacts in sockets, headphones, repairing circuit boards are frequent phenomena, when faced with which a person wants to learn how to learn to solder.

What is a soldering iron?

This is a special heat-emitting device with a power of 15 to 40 W, sufficient for soldering wires, circuit boards and microcircuits. There are soldering irons with higher power.

They are intended for small soldering - for resoldering poorly connected thick-diameter wires or for unsoldering XLR connectors.

The function of the heating element in soldering irons is performed by a nichrome wire, which is wound around a tube containing a “tip” - the working surface of the device. The tip is a copper rod that is heated by a nichrome wire.

The soldering iron uses copper because this metal has high thermal conductivity. Heat is supplied to the wire by electric current. The soldering iron device contains an insulator, which is mica. For safety reasons, it prevents the wires from contacting the metal tube and soldering iron casing.

Learning to solder correctly is easy, but only if you choose the right tool. Among the wide variety of these devices, an amateur craftsman who decides to start repairing office equipment should choose an acoustic soldering iron, which is small in size and has good performance. It has a low heat capacity, which is desirable for fine soldering work when assembling microcircuits.

It is better for a novice master to opt for a device whose power does not exceed 40 W. It is important that the soldering iron is also not weaker than 15 W, since the power in such a product will not be enough even to connect simple wires of office equipment. It is preferable to buy a tool with a three-way grounding plug.

Its presence will prevent possible voltage dissipation during the movement of electric current to the metal tube.

An industrial soldering iron is suitable for connecting calibration wires, chassis and stained glass work.

Which sting is better?

The working parts of soldering irons, depending on the size, are of two types:

• ordinary, the diameter of which is 0.5 cm;
• miniature with a diameter of 0.2 cm, used for soldering very thin wires and copper parts.

The working parts of soldering irons can have the shape of a needle, cone and blade. The last form is the most common, as it makes it possible to scoop out the required amount of solder. In addition, for ease of soldering, the tip can be straight or curved.

The soldering procedure involves joining two metal elements using a third one (solder). In this case, the melting temperature of the connected parts must be higher than that of the third element, which, in the molten state, penetrates into the spaces of the connected parts, as well as into their structure, providing a mechanical connection. At the same time, an electrical contact appears between the parts being connected.

What do you need for work?

The soldering procedure is not complicated. The question of how to learn to solder from scratch is easily resolved. To do this, just acquire the necessary material and, following the instructions, start training.

Where can I learn to solder?

You can train at home by soldering ordinary electrical wires. The main thing is to follow the safety instructions.

The work may require:

• soldering iron (according to professionals, to work with small wires in electronics and radio engineering, a tool with a power of 20-40 W will be sufficient);
• pliers;
• knife;
• scissors;
• set of files;
• sandpaper;
• insulating tape;
• rosin;
• solder.

The question “how to learn to solder” will be resolved after several training sessions. The beginner will gain confidence and experience. Step-by-step soldering instructions can help him with this.

Where to begin?

• Preparing the sting. To do this, using pliers and needle files, you need to clean the working part of the soldering iron. The tip should have an angle of 30-45 degrees. If the tip is damaged, it must be sharpened again to the required shape. After this, the tip is tinning - the heated soldering iron should be dipped first in rosin, and then in solder.
• For safety reasons, it is necessary to prepare a pad for the soldering iron. This is due to the fact that the device heats up to a temperature of more than 300 degrees and operates under high electrical voltage. It is important to optimize your workplace when using a soldering iron. It is advisable that a piece of textolite or plywood be used as a lining. Special trays for solder and rosin are also required.
• Cleaning the surfaces of metals to be joined under solder. To do this you will need sandpaper, solvent or soldering acid. It is important that there are no remaining oils, greases or other contaminants on the surfaces on which solder will be applied.

Sequence of work

How to learn to solder correctly will become clear if you follow the step-by-step instructions. Necessary:

• Place the soldering iron on the stand and plug it into the mains.
• Dip in rosin. This is done 5-7 minutes after connecting to the outlet. The purpose of this procedure is to check the heating temperature of the tip and get rid of scale. The soldering iron is considered ready for use if the rosin boils and melts. If it only softens, then the sting is not warmed up enough. When the soldering iron overheats, the rosin hisses and spatters. In this case, the device needs to cool down a little.
• Treat surfaces with tinning. The joints of metal products are covered with molten solder.
• Press the tinned surfaces together. Apply a new portion of solder in the places where they are combined with a soldering iron. The joined parts must be pressed until the solder cools and hardens.

Solder Use

Successful soldering is possible with skillful selection of the necessary solder - an alloy of tin and lead. The most common types of solder are POS-40 and POS-60. They are characterized by a low melting point (183 degrees) and are used in most soldering jobs to connect steel elements. This standard solder is in the form of a wire with a diameter of 2.5 mm, which is very convenient for working with microcircuits.

To solder aluminum parts, it is advisable to purchase special aluminum solder. During operation, it is important to remember that, when heated, tin-lead compounds emit gases that are very harmful to humans. Therefore, it is recommended to work with them in a well-ventilated area using special respirators, gloves and safety glasses.

How to learn to solder wires?

So how do you connect the wires? The operating sequence is standard for all types of soldering. The connected ends of the wires are tinned. But for reliable fastening, it is recommended to twist them tightly together. During the procedure, the soldering iron tip is directed to the joints with one hand, and solder wire is brought to this place with the other.

In some cases, twisting the wires is not possible. Then the ends of the wires to be connected must be laid parallel to each other and compressed with pliers. The work is performed with one hand, the second one directs the soldering iron tip with solder to the joint. Holding the ends of the wire should be done after removing the soldering iron tip from the soldering area.

Sometimes there is a need to connect the end of one wire to the middle of another. Twisting in this case is done by twisting the end of the wire around another to which it is attached.

It must be remembered that butt soldering of wires is not possible, since its reliability depends on the strength of the mechanical connection.

The question of how to learn to solder wires is one of the most pressing among Internet users. Having mastered the technique of splicing and soldering, craftsmen have the opportunity to independently, without the help of specialists, perform a number of the following tasks:

• seamless heating equipment;
• electric guitar cord extension;
• connecting a USB cable to an antenna, etc.

What is heat shrink?

When splicing wires, professionals recommend using special heat-shrinkable tubes. Their diameter must be twice that of the wire. The tube is placed on one end of the wire. After mechanically interlocking with another wire and soldering, the heat shrink is dragged to the place where they are connected.

It should be positioned so that 1 cm remains at each end of the seam. After this, soldering is performed again. The heat shrink should evenly cover and heat the wire connection.

As a result of exposure of the tube to high temperatures, it is sealed, providing reliable insulation in the connection area, as well as strong mechanical adhesion.

How to learn to solder boards?

Before starting complex soldering, for example, working with diode strips, experts recommend that novice craftsmen acquire inexpensive budget boards. After practicing on them and mastering standard soldering techniques, after some time the beginner will learn how to solder microcircuits.

This type of soldering consists of successive steps:

• Preparatory. Before starting work, you need to ensure a strong connection and reduce resistance. For this purpose, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned of grease and dust. For degreasing, you can use napkins and soap solution. Acetone is used when you need to clean the surface of a circuit to a shine. Methyl hydrate is recommended as a safer solvent. It is as effective as acetone, but has a less pungent odor.
• Placement of board parts to be soldered. Before you learn how to solder circuits, you need to know the locations of all its elements. Flat parts must be soldered first. These are a resistor and a varistor. Then they move on to the capacitor, transistor, transformer, microphone and potentiometer. This sequence guarantees the safety of temperature-sensitive board elements.
• Heating the joint to improve the thermal conductivity of the metal. The soldering iron tip must be pressed against the circuit components for a few seconds. It is important to prevent it from overheating. This will be indicated by bubbles appearing on the surface. In this case, the soldering iron must be removed from the soldering area.
• Solder application. This is carried out until a slight elevation appears on the diagram.
• Removal of surplus. Performed after the solder has hardened and cooled. It is recommended not to rush, but to give the circuit some time to cool down. This is important because the connections made may be damaged and the work will have to be done again.

Every man should learn how to solder circuits. This will make it possible to repair plugs, modems, etc. yourself.

Soldering as a process is not limited to working with copper wires and microcircuits. Having mastered the ability to use a soldering iron on wires, you can move on to subsequent, more complex operations using various solders and various metals.

Source: https://FB.ru/article/253821/kak-nauchitsya-payat-poshagovaya-instruktsiya-osobennosti-i-rekomendatsii-professionalov

How to prepare a soldering iron for use

Before you solder with a soldering iron, you need to get everything you need. The main tools and materials without which soldering is impossible include the soldering iron itself, solder and flux.

Soldering irons

You can learn how to use such a soldering iron from the descriptions of the technology of tin work, which is where they were used most often. Nowadays, electric soldering irons are usually used due to their availability and ease of use. But the first soldering irons were heated over an open flame.

The main parameter by which a soldering iron is selected is its power, which determines the amount of heat flow transferred to the parts being soldered. Devices with a power of up to 40 W are used for soldering electronic components. Thin-walled parts (with a wall thickness of up to 1 mm) require a power of 80-100 W.

For parts with a wall thickness of 2 mm or more, soldering irons with a power above 100 W will be needed. These are, in particular, electric hammer soldering irons that consume up to 250 W and higher. The most energy-intensive soldering irons include, for example, the Ersa Hammer 550 hammer soldering iron with a power of 550 W. It is capable of heating up to a temperature of 600°C and is designed for soldering particularly massive parts - radiators, machine parts. But it has an inadequate price.

In addition to the massiveness of the part, the required power of the soldering iron is also affected by the thermal conductivity of the metal being soldered. As it increases, the power of the device and its heating temperature must be increased.

When soldering parts made of copper with a soldering iron, it must be heated more than when soldering a part of the same mass, but made of steel.

By the way, when working with copper products, a situation may arise when, due to the high thermal conductivity of the metal, during soldering, desoldering of previously completed areas will occur.

Fluxes

Choosing the right flux for soldering means solving the main problem of soldering. It is the quality of the flux that primarily determines the solderability of a particular metal, the ease or difficulty of the soldering process itself, and the strength of the connection. The flux must correspond to the material of the products being soldered - in its ability to destroy its oxide film.

Effective fluxes for soldering steel are an aqueous solution of zinc chloride, soldering acids based on it, and LTI-120 flux. You can use other, stronger fluxes, of which there are plenty on the market.

The main difference between soldering stainless steels with a soldering iron and soldering carbon and low-alloy steels is the need to use more active fluxes, which are required to destroy the chemically resistant oxides with which stainless steels are coated. As for cast iron, it needs to be soldered with high-temperature soldering, and, therefore, an electric soldering iron is not suitable for this purpose.

For stainless steel, phosphoric acid is used. Specialized fluxes, such as F-38, also cope well with chemically resistant oxide films.

For galvanized iron, you can use a composition containing rosin, ethyl alcohol, zinc chloride and ammonium chloride (LK-2 flux).

Auxiliary materials and devices

The soldering iron stand is used to ensure that the heated soldering iron does not touch the table or other objects. If it does not come with a soldering iron, you can purchase it separately or make it yourself. The simplest stand can be made from a thin sheet of tin, cutting grooves in it for storing tools.

soldering iron with a damp viscose or foam sponge placed in the socket to prevent it from falling out than with a regular cloth. Brass shavings can also serve for the same purposes.

Excess solder can be removed from the surface of parts using a special suction or braid. The first one, in appearance and design, resembles a syringe equipped with a spring. Before use, it must be cocked by recessing the rod head. By bringing the nose to the molten solder, the spring is released by pressing the release button. As a result, excess solder is drawn into the removal head.

Desoldering braid is a braid of flux-fluxed thin copper wires. By placing its end on the solder and pressing it on top with a soldering iron, thanks to capillary forces you can collect all the excess solder in it like a blotter. The tip of the braid, saturated with solder, is simply cut off.

A very useful tool is called Hand Tool. When working with a soldering iron, sometimes there are catastrophically “not enough hands” - one is occupied with the soldering iron itself, the other with the solder, but you still need to hold the soldered parts in a certain position. The “third hand” is convenient because its clamps can be easily installed in any position relative to each other.

The parts being soldered are heated to high temperatures; touching them can cause you to get burned. Therefore, it is advisable to have various clamping devices that allow you to manipulate heated parts - pliers , tweezers , clamps .

Preparing the soldering iron for use

Before using a soldering iron, you need to prepare its tip. Preparation depends on its original form. If the tip is made of bare copper, the tip can be forged into a screwdriver shape, this will seal the copper and make it more resistant to wear.

You can simply sharpen it with sandpaper or a file, giving it the required shape - in the form of a sharp or truncated cone with different angles, a tetrahedral pyramid, an angular bevel on one side. Nickel metal coatings are used to protect copper from oxidation.

If the soldering iron has such a coating, then it cannot be forged or sharpened to avoid damaging the coating layer.

There is a standardized range of tip shapes, but you can, of course, use any shape suitable for the particular job.

When soldering massive parts, the contact area between the soldering iron and the part should be maximum to ensure better heat transfer. In this case, angular sharpening of a round rod (2 in the photo above) is considered the best. If you plan to solder small parts, then a sharp cone (4), knife or other shapes with small angles are suitable.

Instructions for working with a soldering iron that has an uncoated copper tip contain one mandatory requirement - tinning the “tip” of the new soldering iron in order to protect it from oxidation and wear. Moreover, this should be done during the first heating, without delay. Otherwise, the “tip” will be covered with a thin layer of scale, and the solder will not want to stick to it. This can be done in different ways.

Heat the soldering iron to operating temperature, touch the “tip” to the rosin, melt the solder on it and rub the solder on a piece of wood. Or wipe the heated tip with a rag moistened with a solution of zinc chloride, melt solder on it and rub it over the tip with a piece of ammonia or rock table salt.

The main thing is that as a result of these operations, the working part of the tip is completely covered with a thin layer of solder.

The need to tin the tip is caused by the fact that the flux gradually corrodes, and the solder dissolves the tip. Due to loss of shape, the tip has to be sharpened regularly, and the more active the flux, the more often, sometimes several times a day. For nickel-plated tips, nickel blocks access to copper, protecting it, but such tips require careful handling, they are afraid of overheating, and it is not a fact that the manufacturer has made a sufficiently high-quality coating, for which they require an overpayment.

Preparing parts for soldering

First of all, this is cleaning the part from dirt and degreasing. There are no special subtleties here - you need to use solvents (gasoline, acetone or others) to clean the part from oils, fats, and dirt.

If there is rust, it must be removed by any suitable mechanical method - using an emery wheel, wire brush or sandpaper.

In the case of high-alloy and stainless steels, it is advisable to treat the edges being joined with an abrasive tool, since the oxide film of these metals is particularly strong.

Source: https://MyTooling.ru/instrumenty/kak-podgotovit-pajalnik-k-rabote

Rules for sharpening and tinning soldering iron tips

To obtain a high-quality solder joint, you must maintain the required soldering mode, determined by the temperature in the working area, the composition of the solder, as well as the condition of the soldering iron tip. This part is traditionally made of copper, but in some cases special protective coatings are applied to the tip to extend its service life.

Why tin and sharpen

Tinning the tip before soldering significantly simplifies all operations with a soldering iron, which consist of transferring molten solder to the contact area. This procedure can only be avoided if the purchased soldering device has a tip covered with a protective film of silver.

The silver-based coating holds solder well without compromising the thermal conductivity of the copper base.

However, products with such a coating cost a lot of money; In addition, the silver film comes off over time and exposes the copper base (they say that it dissolves in the solder). So in this case, after some time, the sting will have to be tinned, one way or another.

It is necessary to sharpen the tip with a file not only before tinning, but also in cases where it is necessary to give the tip a shape convenient for work.

Some users prefer the tip to be sharpened to a cone. Others try to sharpen its side parts in such a way as to obtain a flat, pointed shape.

Preparing a new soldering iron

Preparing a soldering iron for work involves calcining its executive part (tip) to a state in which it can fully perform its functions.

The fact is that any soldering tool just brought from the store has traces of copper oxides on the tip (they are formed after prolonged contact with air). Naturally, this coating worsens contact with working compounds (solder and flux).

Preparing the tool for work means eliminating all interference with good adhesion of the tip surface to the solder.

To achieve this, the following steps must be taken:

• First, the tip should be thoroughly calcined until the metal acquires a reddish-orange tint. From this moment it will burn, that is, the process of thermal burning of oxide residues begins, accompanied by a characteristic pungent odor.
• Secondly, after a certain time, when carbon deposits characteristic of copper appear on the surface of the tip, you should scrape it off with any sharp metal object.
• Thirdly, the soldering iron tip, cleared of carbon deposits, must undergo another operation called tinning. In order to tin high-quality tips of any type, you should learn to distinguish between the options for their execution.

Tinning in rosin

Before choosing a tinning method, try to find out the structure of the material from which the soldering iron tip is made. Thus, a copper tip cleaned of scale can be tinned in ordinary rosin and solder.

To do this, you need to immerse the end of a hot tip in rosin and melt a piece of solder placed under it. This should be done in such a way that the molten liquid mixture completely covers the surface of the tip.

Sometimes the solder “sticks” to the surface being processed with great difficulty (that is, the soldering iron tip does not tin). What to do in this case?

It is necessary to transfer the soldering composition along with rosin to the bottom of a small metal container and melt them there until a liquid mixture is obtained. Then you should take a new soldering iron and forcefully scrape the tip along the metal bottom with the molten bath. This operation should be carried out until the entire tip is completely wetted in solder.

Metal sponge

There are often soldering irons on sale with the working part coated with special protective compounds made of stainless steel (this coating is called “non-burnable”). It has a thickness of several microns, so sharpening and tinning the tip is completely unacceptable due to the possibility of destruction of the coating due to strong friction.

In this case, the simplest method of dry tinning and cleaning the tip is used, using a steel sponge.

Its spring cells ensure good grinding of the tip and allow you to quickly tin its working surfaces. This method can be used when preparing soldering irons equipped with ceramic and nickel tips, as well as those with a very thin tip.

The special steel mesh can be replaced with a regular kitchen sponge. To clean the sponge itself, simply tap the mesh on the table, after which all the remaining solder will fall out at the bottom of it. The cost of this cleaning accessory does not exceed fifty rubles, so you can buy it immediately with a reserve.

With any of the proposed options, damage to the soldering iron due to strong pressure is practically excluded.

File and sandpaper

The classic way to prepare and tin a soldering iron tip before starting to work with it is to process it with a file (sandpaper) together with the use of high-quality rosin.

When preparing a tip using this method, you first need to sharpen one of the edges of the tip with a finely cut file, after which it is immersed in rosin and rubbed over a wooden board with molten solder.

Note that this procedure must be repeated several times. Upon completion of tinning, one facet should be sharpened and tinned in the same way.

To tinning a copper tip sharpened “to a cone”, it is first sanded with sandpaper along the entire working circumference, after which it is tinned with a rotational movement on a wooden lining with molten solder.

Special means

As special agents, it is allowed to use active organic mixtures (fluxes), as well as pastes of a special composition. The use of fluxes makes it possible to increase the efficiency of wetting the tip material with solder and, accordingly, improve tinning performance.

Domestic manufacturers offer several types of flux, which are available for public sale in hermetically sealed plastic packaging. When working with a composition consisting of ethyl alcohol with added catalytic additives, the temperature in the processing area does not exceed 300 degrees. This indicator satisfies the requirements for choosing the correct tinning mode for most materials used for the manufacture of tips.

The procedure for using active paste additives differs only in the way they are applied to the surfaces being treated.

Soldering iron with permanent tip

Tinning a so-called “eternal” or fireproof tip usually causes difficulty (even when using flux). On the forums we managed to find a technique whose author suggests the following sequence of actions:

1. Take a piece of clean cotton cloth, generously soaked in water.
2. Then the solder is placed in a jar of rosin, after which they proceed to tinning.
3. First, you should walk the hot tip over the wet fabric a couple of times, which will allow you to get rid of the oxide film on it for a short time.
4. Without waiting for the formation of a new connection, you need to quickly immerse the tip of the solder in rosin and drown a lump of solder in it, bringing it to a molten state.

In this way, it is possible to dissolve the remaining oxides in the rosin, which are immediately replaced by the tinning composition.

The considered tinning methods allow you to quickly and efficiently prepare the tip for soldering work, and also ensure the safety of this part of the tool for a long time.

Source: https://svaring.com/soldering/praktika/luzhenie-zhala-pajalnika

How to learn to solder with a hand soldering iron + step-by-step instructions

Teaching is the mother of creation! And even if the creation is considered to be just ordinary work with an electric soldering iron, such work cannot be done efficiently without studying. Everyone, including girls, should be able to hold a soldering iron and solder with tin.

Therefore, let's consider a simple and at the same time complex technical point - how to learn how to solder with a hand soldering iron and apply science if necessary.

And the need for soldering with tin can be very different, be it household irons, radio sockets, electric kettles, electronic circuit boards, etc.

What kind of soldering should you use with a hand soldering iron?

The need to disassemble electronic devices for repair purposes is quite common. Meanwhile, any electronics, as a rule, contains a printed circuit board, where electronic components are connected into a circuit by soldering.

Soldering with an electric soldering iron is an action aimed at creating a strong connection of electronic parts by melting solder and then applying the melt at the point where the parts meet.

FOR SOLDERING

The technology of soldering using a hand-held electric soldering iron is widely used for repairing electronics.

Therefore, it is advisable to be able to use this technology

Solder is an alloy of soft metals capable of acquiring a semi-liquid state when heated to a certain temperature (~250ºC for POS60 solder).

When the heating stops, the solder at the point of application cools, thereby creating a strong electrical connection. The peculiarity of such soldering is that the soldered assembly is also easy to unsolder using the same tool - an electric soldering iron.

What tools and accessories are used when soldering?

The basis for soldering work is a relatively small number of tools and components:

1. Electric (or other) soldering iron.
2. Soldering iron stand.
3. Solder.
4. Flux (the simplest and most popular is rosin).

This is what a simplified version of the hardware and accessories for manual soldering looks like. However, with increasing skills of an electrician and increasing needs for soldering work, it is possible to expand the range when additionally required:

1. Soldering Station.
2. Device "Third hand".
3. Set of solder, fluxes, soldering pastes.

What kind of electric soldering iron is it?

Hand tool - soldering iron, powered from a standard AC outlet (220V). There is a direct power tool and power supply via adapter. There are manual soldering irons for different power (10 - 100 W). However, for most soldering cases, a 25-40 W device is usually sufficient.

SOLDERING IRONS

Hand-held soldering tool designs come in a variety of shapes and configurations. There are tools complemented by different tip shapes and auxiliary accessories

The main tool of the soldering process is available in different versions. For example, a simple one with a handle or in the form of a pistol. The design of most soldering irons supports the interchangeability of soldering tips. Thanks to the mutual replacement of tips, different soldering methods are implemented.

Working with a hand soldering iron requires caution and compliance with operating rules, since a high heating temperature of 450-500ºC and a high supply voltage of 220 V are used.

What is the best stand for an electric soldering iron?

This accessory is optional, but recommended in any case. In principle, soldering can be carried out without a soldering iron stand, but this option is accompanied by a lot of inconvenience. Moreover, it is not recommended for novice electrical installers to work without a stand.

STANDS

A stand for parking a soldering tool is an accessory that provides not only ease of use and soldering, but also safety for the electrician

Convenient work with a stand is seen not only in parking the soldering iron during work. Usually the stand is equipped with trays for solder and flux, which also adds to the comfort during soldering. Therefore, if you intend to do soldering work, you should acquire not only a soldering iron, but also a convenient, practical stand.

What solders and fluxes are used?

There are many varieties of solder in relation to soldering conditions. This soldering accessory comes with:

• lead alloy,
• lead-free alloy,
• with the addition of flux,
• without adding flux.

Traditionally, solder is produced in wire form with a diameter of 0.8-15 mm, as well as rods. The wire version is considered the most common.

For soldering electronics, lead-free solder is most often used with or without the addition of rosin. The lead-free type of solder is based on an alloy of tin and copper. Lead solder (60% tin, 40% lead) is also used (much less frequently), but this option is considered harmful to health and is not recommended for use.

When using lead solder for soldering with a soldering iron, it is necessary to provide more active ventilation. After completing soldering work, be sure to wash your hands with laundry soap.

TIN

Integral accessories for soldering using a hand soldering iron are soldering rosin and wire solder. There are also solder pastes and rod-shaped solders.

Working with solder is accompanied by different types of flux.

Among the options used, there is a soldering option where acid acts as a flux (soldering steel, stainless steel). In this case, a separate “acid” soldering iron core is recommended, since the acid quickly “eats” the non-ferrous metal.

“Acid” core can be found in specialized stores.

What is the technique for cleaning the core tip?

Soldering requires periodic cleaning of the soldering iron core tip. In practice, a standard damp sponge is often used, thanks to which the tip of the soldering iron core can be kept clean and optimal for work. The sponge also quite effectively removes oxidation that inevitably forms.

The presence of an oxidation film on the tip of the soldering iron core covers the working layer of solder. A black film is formed, blocking active adhesion of solder and uniform distribution over the tip.

Using a regular damp sponge seems to be effective, but this method shortens the life of the tip due to the expansion and contraction of the copper. In addition, a wet sponge temporarily reduces the temperature of the tip. Therefore, the best alternative for cleaning seems to be the use of a brass “sponge”.

SPONGE BRASS

A convenient means for cleaning the soldering iron tip from oxides and residues of molten solder is a brass mesh. A better alternative to the traditional wet sponge

An accessory such as a brass “sponge” is a fine metal mesh made of brass, similar to that used for washing dishes. The only difference is that the washing mesh is made of steel or stainless steel.

Why do you need a soldering station and a “third hand”?

A more technologically advanced tool is a soldering station. A tool of this type is practical to use when there is a need for constant work associated with soldering. The soldering station provides greater flexibility in operation, plus control of operation (automatic adjustment of heating temperature).

The advantage of a soldering station is the ability of the device to maintain the set temperature of the soldering iron. This approach contributes to high quality soldering work on a wide range of projects. Soldering stations help create a safe workplace by incorporating temperature sensors, alarm settings, and even password protection.

THIRD HAND

A soldering station and a “third hand” are tools for professional use when it comes to large-scale work, as well as soldering of small electronic parts

In addition to the soldering station, professional electricians use another tool - the so-called “third hand”. We are talking about a special holder equipped with a magnifying glass. With the help of such a holder it is convenient to solder miniature parts and work with electronic boards with small wiring.

Step-by-step soldering process

Before you start soldering, you should prepare a soldering iron and all the necessary accessories.

1. Prepare solder and flux.
2. If the soldering iron is new, clean the tip with fine sandpaper until it has a copper shine.
3. Heat the tip of the soldering iron core to operating temperature (not higher than 400ºC).
4. Dip the tip in rosin and apply to the solder.
5. Grab a small amount of solder onto the tip.
6. Thoroughly tin the working surfaces of the tip with solder.

The procedure for tinning the tip is recommended to be performed on a copper surface of low mass. Ideally suited for tinning the wide traces of any defective printed circuit board. Having completed tinning, you can proceed directly to soldering.

TIN SUCTION

The procedure for soldering installed electronic parts in itself is not particularly difficult. The quality of creating connections depends on the correct sequence of actions and skill

If soldering is carried out on clean (never soldered) tracks of the electronic board, all soldering points must also be prepared - sanded with “zero” sandpaper to a characteristic shine. Next, perform the following steps:

1. Insert the electronic component into the corresponding holes on the board.
2. Set the component to vertical/horizontal levels.
3. On the back side of the board (solder points), bend the component leads at 45º.
4. Dip the soldering iron tip into rosin.
5. Grab a small amount of solder.
6. Touch the tip to the surface of the board at the soldering point.

The result of touching, as a rule, is a uniform spreading of molten solder around the lead of the electronic component. Once the solder has filled the soldering point, the soldering iron tip should be removed to allow the applied solder to cure. Repeat the operation at the next point. In this way, soldering of any other points on the electronic board is carried out.

How to solder wires using a soldering iron?

The soldering procedure aimed at connecting wires is somewhat different from soldering on electronic board tracks. It should be noted: only copper conductors or those built on alloys with a high copper content can be soldered with tin solder using rosin and similar fluxes.

SOLDERING SET

Features of wire soldering are proper tinning and correct contact time. The quality largely depends on the composition of the soldered conductor strands

Initially, it is necessary to prepare the ends of the conductors for soldering - strip them to a characteristic shine and twist them tightly (stranded). Then:

1. The prepared end of the conductor is inserted together with the soldering iron tip briefly into the rosin.
2. Next, grab the solder with a tip and apply it to the stripped end of the conductor, covered with a thin layer of rosin.
3. Distribute the solder evenly with the tip until the entire area of ​​the end of the conductor is completely covered.

When performing the last point, you should control the process so as not to overheat the wire insulation. If the insulation begins to melt, you should remove the soldering iron for a while and repeat tinning a little later. Do a similar procedure with the other wire. Then place the ends one on top of the other and fill with solder.

You can also use another option:

1. Clean the ends of the conductors until they are shiny.
2. Twist the ends together.
3. Dip briefly into melted rosin.
4. Tin and fill with solder.

The finishing touch

At this point, the practice of a novice electrical installer can be considered complete. Anyone who has mastered the technology of soldering with a hand soldering iron will have wide horizons for creativity and work.

Source: https://zetsila.ru/%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%8F-%D0% BF%D0%B0%D1%8F%D1%82%D1%8C-%D1%80%D1%83%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%BC-%D0%BF%D0% B0%D1%8F%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC/

Preparing the soldering iron for soldering

When a new soldering iron is plugged in for the first time, smoke begins to come out of its body, which burns out the varnishes and fats that get in during assembly and preservation. Therefore, it is advisable to turn on a new soldering iron for the first time in a well-ventilated room or place the soldering iron out of a window outside, connecting it through an extension cord.

Before you start soldering, the tip of the new soldering iron needs to be shaped with a file into a shape convenient for the specific type of soldering. If the end of the tip is forged after heating the soldering iron for 15-20 minutes, then it will last longer, since the copper will become denser and will not dissolve so quickly when soldering in solder.

The most universal shape of the tip is angular and cut. Less often, knife-shaped, this shape of a soldering iron tip is convenient if you need to simultaneously heat, for example, a number of connector contacts or pins of a microcircuit when desoldering from a printed circuit board.

To be able to solder some radio elements with a soldering iron, you have to make a special tip, such as in the photo. A tip of this shape allows you to solder leadless SMD components – resistors, diodes, capacitors and other radio elements – with a soldering iron without destruction. Such soldering cannot be performed with a standard-shaped tip.

After forming the soldering iron tip, its working surfaces must be tinned. To do this, heat the soldering iron to operating temperature, quickly touch the tip to the rosin and solder in turn, and rub the tip on a flat piece of wood.

A sign that the soldering iron tip has warmed up to the required temperature is the boiling of the rosin with the release of abundant steam when the soldering iron tip touches it. If you cannot tin the tip, then you need to clean its working surface again and tin it again. Signs of a good solder are when the entire surface is covered with a thin layer of solder.

Soldering iron stand

Before soldering, the soldering iron must be warmed up. In this case, the body of the soldering iron heats up to a temperature of 300°C and to protect surrounding objects from damage, it is necessary to prevent contact of the soldering iron with them. For this purpose, a stand for a soldering iron is used, which, in addition to its protective function, is a kind of table on which flux, solder, and foam rubber for cleaning the soldering iron tip are usually placed and work on tinning wires is performed.

Factory-made soldering iron stands are not convenient to use, mainly due to their small size. It's easy to make your own soldering iron stand.

For a 40 W soldering iron, I have a stand made of a sheet of plywood 5 mm thick and 18 cm x 25 cm in size. The larger table is convenient for work, on it I tin the surfaces of the parts, shake off excess solder from the soldering iron tip onto it. To support the hot part of the soldering iron to the plywood at a distance of 10 mm from each other, two cups from an old telephone ringer are screwed with screws. They are convenient in size and at the same time serve to store rosin and pieces of solder.

Thanks to the round shape, the cups come into contact with the soldering iron only at two points and therefore take little heat away from it. There is also a radio crocodile attached to the table, which holds foam rubber for cleaning the sting. An easily removable mount is necessary to moisten the foam (wet foam better removes dirt from the tip) and if it is necessary to replace it when worn. I secured the crocodile as follows. I flattened the part intended for inserting a fork and slipped it under the cup.

For a 10 W soldering iron, the stand is slightly different. It is a plastic box in which a step-down transformer is placed from 220 V to 12 V. The support for the soldering iron is bent from a cut sheet of iron, which is also the side cover of the box. A sheet of fiberglass laminate is screwed on top for tinning the parts.

Soldering tool

You should not skimp on the tool; there should be enough of it available to perform any type of soldering with a soldering iron.

The quality and aesthetic appearance of the solder joint directly depends on the set of available tools. When soldering with a soldering iron, the parts become very hot and cannot be held in your hands. Therefore, you need tweezers and pliers of different sizes.

If the tweezer jaws are sharpened, as shown in the photo, then the parts will not slip out when soldering. These tweezers will also be convenient for holding small screws when tightening them.

To remove oxides and remove insulation, you will need wire cutters, a knife, files, a car brush, and sandpaper. To shape the wires into the desired shape, for example, the end of a thick conductor for a threaded connection when connecting to an outlet or switch, you will need pliers.

It is good to solder microcircuits using a medical needle, suction or copper braid from a shielded coaxial cable.

It is convenient to free metallized holes in printed circuit boards that have been filled with solder after desoldering parts with a toothpick, a sharpened match or a sewing needle. To do this, on the one hand, you need to heat the solder in the hole with a soldering iron, and on the other hand, push it out using the tool listed above.

Source: https://YDoma.info/tehnologii-remonta/kak-payat/kak-payat-podgotovka-payalnika-k-payke.html

Instructions on how to tin a soldering iron tip: features of preparation for soldering and tip care

In a modern home filled with appliances, there are often simple breakdowns that, with the right skills, can be easily fixed on your own. The most common failure is disconnection of contacts and rupture of wires. At home, this problem can be dealt with using an ordinary soldering iron.

Many sites have instructions on how to choose the right soldering iron and solder yourself, and how to choose solder and flux. But for the most part, the instructions omit such an important question as how to properly tin a soldering iron.

If you incorrectly prepare the tool for work, the results of your efforts will be completely poor quality, and the contacts in the device will be unreliable.

Types of soldering irons

It is important to know that different types of soldering irons require different pre-treatment methods.

The tinning method is mainly influenced by the material from which the soldering iron tip is made.

Copper

The most popular and affordable are tips made from copper and its alloys. This metal has good thermal conductivity, but has a large minus - the copper tip is very soft and for this reason wears out very quickly. Also, copper tips are not suitable for working on small radio components.

Non-burn tips

Unburnt tips have much better characteristics. They are also made of copper alloys, but have a special protective coating of nickel or silver.

You won’t be able to find instructions on how to tin the tip of such a soldering iron - this process is performed at the tip manufacturing stage, and thanks to the special coating, this operation will no longer have to be repeated.

Steel

In rare cases, you can find soldering irons with a tip made of steel. This material is much more durable and strong compared to copper, but has very poor thermal conductivity. This causes the very low popularity of soldering irons with steel tips.

Ceramics

Recently, soldering irons with tips made of ceramics have become increasingly popular. They have enviable thermal conductivity, are not covered with oxides and, as a result, do not require tinning.

Also, due to its density, the ceramic tip can be very thin, which is ideal for working with small radio components and creating designer jewelry.

Composite tips

On sale you can find tips made from several metals at once. When creating such parts, all the pros and cons of each of the metals used are taken into account in order to fully reflect its advantages and neutralize its disadvantages.

The most popular combination of metals is a combination of steel, copper and nickel. Hard steel serves as an axis of rigidity, soft copper serves as a good conductor, and the nickel coating protects the copper tip from oxidation.

Beginning of work

Getting started with a new tool versus a previously used tool is completely different.

How to tin a new soldering iron?

It is worth remembering that only copper and steel tips need tinning. For others this procedure is not required.

You should start working with a new soldering iron by removing patina from its surface - a greenish coating created by oxidation products. The patina is removed using fine-grained sandpaper. Then you can proceed directly to tinning.

To know how to tin a copper soldering iron, you need to know what tinning is. This term refers to covering the surface of the tip with a thin layer of heated solder. This operation will help prevent metal oxidation during operation, which will have a beneficial effect on the quality of the seam.

After removing the oxides from the new soldering iron and giving the old tip the desired shape, you can begin tinning. To do this, the soldering iron is heated to the melting temperature of rosin, after which the tip is processed.

Next, you should wait until the soldering iron warms up to its operating temperature and immerse the working surface of the tip in a small piece of solder so that the tip is evenly treated with solder.

To make this process easier, you can see a photo of how to tin a soldering iron. This will help you choose the optimal amount of solder and rosin to complete the job.

Photo instructions on how to tin a soldering iron tip

We also recommend viewing:

Help the site, share on social networks

Source: https://instrumentgid.ru/instrukciya-kak-zaludit-zhalo-payalnika/

Basics of HIGH-QUALITY SOLDERING techniques without errors

13.09.2012

To learn how to solder correctly, you need to prepare: a soldering iron (how to choose the right soldering iron), a soldering iron stand, a wooden block, solder, flux, pliers or tweezers, side cutters. Before soldering, the soldering iron must be prepared. To do this, use a file to sharpen the soldering iron tip to 45 degrees ( this is especially true for a new soldering iron, because...

anti-carbon coating on the tip of a new soldering iron, prevents tinning of the soldering iron tip and, accordingly, the removal of solder).

After you have cleaned the soldering iron tip, turn it on and when it warms up to the melting temperature of the solder, lightly process the soldering iron tip with a file until a shine appears on the working part of the tip, and immediately after that touch the tip of the tip to the flux and solder.

There should be some solder left on the tip of the soldering iron tip; then you just need to rub the tip of the soldering iron tip with the working surface on a prepared wooden block. After this, the soldering iron can be considered prepared for further work. During operation, to keep the soldering iron tip clean, from time to time wipe the soldering iron tip with a cloth folded in several layers.

Before soldering the radio component, it should be prepared. Using narrow pliers or tweezers, bend the leads of the part so that they fit into the holes of the board ( this is called forming the leads of radio elements ).

It is useful to have a special device for molding the leads of parts to certain distances between the mounting holes. Insert the part into the holes on the board. At the same time, ensure the correct placement (polarity - if any) of parts, for example, diodes or electrolytic capacitors.

After this, slightly spread the leads on the opposite side of the board so that the part does not fall out of its seat. The conclusions should not be spread too far apart.

Let's start soldering!

To properly solder the element, place the soldering iron tip between the terminal and the board, as shown in the figure, and heat the soldering area. The heating time should be no more than 3-5 seconds so as not to damage the part or board.

After 1-2 seconds, bring the solder to the soldering area. When solder touches the soldering iron tip, flux may splatter. After the required amount of solder has melted, move the wire away from the soldering area. Hold the soldering iron tip against the soldering area for a second to ensure the solder is evenly distributed across the soldering area. After this, without moving the part, remove the soldering iron. Without moving the part, wait a few moments until the soldering area has completely cooled down.

Now you can cut off the excess leads using side cutters. When doing this, be careful not to damage the soldering area.

Criteria for high-quality soldering!

• A high-quality solder joint connects the pad and the lead of the part and has a smooth and shiny surface.
• If the solder joint is spherical or connected to adjacent pads, heat the solder joint until the solder melts and remove excess solder. There is always a small amount of solder left on the soldering iron tip.
• If the soldering area has a matte surface and looks scratched, then it is called “cold soldering”. Heat it until the solder melts and let it cool without moving the parts. Add a little solder if necessary. After this, you can remove any remaining flux from the board using a suitable solvent. This operation is optional - the flux can remain on the board. It does not interfere and in no way affects the functioning of the circuit (for the aesthetics of the appearance of the board, it is better, of course, to remove the remaining flux).

Various soldering methods

How to solder correctly? The paragraphs below should answer this question. They are intended for beginner radio amateurs looking for more than just theoretical knowledge.

Soldering loose wires

Let's get started with practice from the very first example. It is necessary to connect the LED with a limiting resistance and solder the power cable to them. There are no mounting pins, plates or other accessories used here. The following operations must be performed:1. Strip the insulation from the ends of the wire. The thin copper conductors are absolutely clean because they have been protected from oxygen and moisture by insulation.

2. Twist the individual wires of the core. This way you can prevent their subsequent fraying.

3. Tinning the ends of the wires is very important for proper soldering. During tinning, the heated tip of the soldering iron must be brought to the wire simultaneously with the solder. The wire must be heated well so that the solder is evenly distributed over the surface of the bundle. Light rubbing with the tip helps distribute the solder along the entire length of the tinning plate.

4. Shorten the leads of the LED and resistor and also tin them. Although the leads were tinned during the manufacture of radioelements, a thin layer of oxides could form on them during storage. After tinning, the surface will be clean again. If very old radio components are used, soldered from any boards, they are usually heavily oxidized. The leads of such parts must be cleaned of oxides before tinning, for example, by scraping them with a knife.
5.

While holding the leads to be connected parallel to each other, apply a small amount of melted solder to them. The soldering area should warm up quickly, and the solder consumption should be 2-3 mm (with a diameter of 1.5 mm). As soon as the solder evenly fills the gaps between the connected leads, you need to quickly remove the soldering iron. The soldering area must be left undisturbed until the solder has completely hardened.

If the parts move earlier, microcracks will form in the soldering, reducing the mechanical and electrical properties of the connection.

A little theory

Soldering is the joining of metals using another, more fusible metal. In electronics, as a rule, they use solder containing 60% tin and 40% lead (POS - 40, POS - 60), as you yourself guessed, the numbers in the solder type designation indicate the percentage of tin in the solder.

This alloy melts already at 180 degrees Celsius. Modern solders used in soldering electronic circuits are produced in the form of thin tubes filled with a special resin (rosin), which acts as a flux. The heated solder creates an internal bond with metals such as copper, brass, silver, etc.

, if the following conditions are met:

• The surfaces of the parts to be soldered must be cleaned, that is, the oxide films formed over time must be removed from them.
• The part at the soldering site must be heated to a temperature exceeding the melting point of the solder. Certain difficulties arise in the case of large surfaces with good thermal conductivity, since the power of the soldering iron may not be enough to heat it.
• During the soldering process, the soldering area must be protected from exposure to atmospheric oxygen. This task is performed by flux (rosin), which forms a protective film over the soldering material. Flux is contained in the solder in the form of a thin core. When solder melts, it is distributed over the surface of the liquid metal.

Typical beginner mistakes and methods for correcting them

• Novice installers only touch the soldering area with the tip of the soldering iron tip. In this case, not enough heat is supplied. An experienced installer has a sense of optimal heat transfer. He places the soldering iron tip in such a way that the largest possible contact area is formed between it and the soldering point. In addition, he very quickly introduces a little solder between the tip and the part as a heat conductor.
• Novice installers melt a little solder and, with some delay, bring it to the desired location. In this case, part of the flux evaporates, the solder does not have a protective layer and an oxide film forms on it. A professional, on the contrary, always touches the soldering area with both a soldering iron and solder. In this case, the soldering area is enveloped in a drop of pure melt before the flux has time to evaporate.
• Novice installers are often unsure whether the solder area is overheated. They move the soldering iron tip away from the soldering point too early, then they are forced to bring it back in for heating, move it back again, etc. The result is a gray soldering joint with uneven boundaries, since the parts being joined were not heated hot enough, and the process itself took too long and the rosin had time to evaporate. The master, on the contrary, heats the soldering area quickly and intensely and completes the process abruptly and completely. He rewards himself with a smooth, silvery solder surface.

Once you learn how to solder, you can buy a soldering iron with temperature control on Aliexpress; we have made a selection of popular models in a separate article.

    Material from the site lessonradio.narod.ru revised and expanded.

SOLDERING BASICS Link to main publication

Source: https://www.radioingener.ru/osnovy-pajki/

How to use a soldering iron: materials, instructions, tips

There are many methods that are successfully used to splice wires, but the most effective of them is the well-known soldering. Only it guarantees complete inseparability of connections experiencing constant increased load. It may seem to novice home electricians and radio amateurs that this process is indecently elementary.

Those craftsmen who often have to work with the device (both at work and at home) think differently. Such people believe that the ability to solder well is akin to art. Therefore, before starting any practical exercises, it is better to ask how to use a soldering iron most effectively, and how to solder wires correctly.

Even minimal knowledge will help you quickly master new skills.

Soldering iron and its tasks

Soldering is the joining of metal contacts using a melt (lead and tin), which has electrolytic (conducting) properties. The difference between this operation and welding is that not a single element being connected melts during the process: the solder used has a lower melting point than that of metal conductors. After the melt hardens, a permanent contact connection is formed.

Devices used at home are electric soldering irons. The choice of device depends on what work the master plans to perform in the future:

• for soldering electronic elements, a low power of 40-60 W will be enough;
• if the thickness of the soldered parts is no more than 1 mm, then 80-100 W will be enough;
• elements with walls up to 2 mm require heavy artillery - a tool with a power above 100 W.

To be able to carry out almost any similar work at home, it is better for a home craftsman to purchase two different devices at once - the first and the second; there is no need for a more powerful one: it is better if an experienced “soldering iron” person handles the soldering of thick-walled parts.

Compositions and additional tools

You need to purchase a few more auxiliary materials. This list includes:

1. Solder, which was already mentioned in passing. For connecting copper wires, tin-lead solders POS-40, POS-50 or POS-60 are optimal, where the numbers are the percentage of tin content, since lead is added only to reduce the cost. For soldering aluminum contacts - zinc-based alloys: TsA-15 (zinc + aluminum), grade A (zinc, copper, tin), TsO-12, P250A (zinc + tin).
2. Flux. It is used to clean wires from various contaminants, as well as from oxide (oxide) film. The purpose of the flux is to ensure good adhesion (adhesion) of the solder to the surface. More often, rosin or mixtures with it (glycerin, alcohol, zinc) are used in this role: for example, LTI-120. For silver and stainless steel, acidic (active) fluxes are used, but their residues must be washed off with alcohol.

There are also solder pastes, which contain two main components - solder and flux. The mixture is applied to the part, then it is heated with a soldering iron tip. The purpose of use is soldering in hard-to-reach places for surface mounting of SMD components.

To work normally with a soldering iron you will need:

• a stand that has two metal supports - for the body and the handle;
• file for sharpening or cleaning the tip;
• miniature pliers or tweezers with heat-shrinkable tubing - for holding quickly and very hot wires;
• alcohol to remove flux residues, a rag to remove solder;
• sandpaper (needle file) for cleaning conductors;
• heat shrink tubes of different diameters and/or electrical tape for conductors.

Preparing for work

Before using a soldering iron, it is better to study all the hidden points that will make the work convenient and safe. The first concern is the organization of the workplace. The main requirement is its proximity to the outlet, so that if necessary, you can turn off the device from the power supply almost instantly.

A convenient stand that allows you to quickly pick up and put the device back has already been written about. You can make it yourself using wood or textolite as a base. M-shaped posts are usually made of steel wire; an alternative is a rod whose diameter is 4-5 mm.

It’s hard to imagine the convenient work of a “soldering iron” without small containers for rosin and solder. The best option is fairly wide but low jars made of metal. It is recommended to mount them on a stand for a soldering iron.

Conductors

They are stripped of insulation (30-50 mm or more if the wire diameter is large), then the oxide film is mechanically removed. Clean the surfaces using sandpaper until shiny. If the metal wires are heavily contaminated, a solvent is used. Soldering acid is used to process steel parts.

Sting

The non-ideal condition of the tool requires preliminary preparation, since it is impossible to use a soldering iron if the tip of the tip has lost its shape. The work area is first inspected. If defects are detected - sagging or gouges - the original shape (45° bevel) is restored with a file.

Next, the soldering iron tip is tinned and covered with solder. The operation is done like this:

• First, the device is heated to operating temperature;
• one side of the tip is first placed in rosin, then in solder;
• excess solder is wiped off with a rag without turning off the tool; an alternative is to wipe the surface on a wooden surface;
• Prepare the second side of the soldering iron in the same way.

If the work area has one bevel, only that bevel is tinned.

Soldering

Now about how to use a soldering iron for its intended purpose: how to solder wires correctly. The process itself is simple, but for better results you need to become familiar with several conditions. After turning on a household tool, you usually wait about 5 minutes, during which time it heats up to the optimal temperature, allowing the rosin to boil and the melt to become homogeneous.

A temperature of 240-280° is considered normal. With insufficient heating, the flux will only soften slightly, and the tin will melt slightly. Solder cannot be used in this condition. Overheating will also lead to a “disaster”: the flux will hiss and spit, and the melt will lose its plasticity. In such a situation, the soldering iron is disconnected from the network and given time to cool down.

Tinning

When the melting point of the rosin is reached, the stripped, prepared part of the conductor is placed on a piece, then heated with a soldering iron until the entire wire is completely immersed in rosin. After this, take a drop of solder onto the tip and quickly distribute it along the wire, which is turned slightly. The “ready” copper conductor gets rid of the “treacherous” redness and becomes silvery. Proceed in the same way with all parts intended for soldering.

Main job

The prepared conductors are tightly connected. In some cases, it is more advisable to twist. Taking solder onto the tip, press it with little force onto the wires, which are held together by hand.

When the spread solder covers the entire joint, the operation is considered successfully completed, but the soldering iron is not removed until the solder has cooled. To speed up this process, which takes only 3-4 seconds, it is recommended to blow on it.

If the thickness of the solder is not satisfactory, then transfer another drop with a sting.

The last step is to isolate the junction. After the conductors have cooled, tape is wrapped around them. Those who want greater reliability put on a heat-shrinkable tube, which they then heat up. If the work involved electrical wiring, then use combined protection - both options at once: after winding the tape, heat shrink is put on it.

Twist

To ensure greater reliability of the connection, it is recommended to pre-twist the ends of the conductors. The melt is applied in such a way that it gets into the gaps between them. Butt soldering of parts is not encouraged for obvious reasons: such a connection cannot boast of strength. If you need to solder a wire to the middle of another, then the end of the first is wrapped around the second; an extreme case if the length is insufficient is to form a loop.

Soldering Features

They exist if you use other compounds and more complex wires.

1. Flux operation. In the case of an active mixture, the wires are not first cleaned of the oxide film; the acid will “eat” it. They are lubricated with flux, then heated with a soldering iron, onto which a small amount of solder is taken. In subsequent actions, there are almost no differences from the “timeless classic”, except for wiping the soldering areas with a cotton swab and alcohol. A simple operation will destroy the remnants of the aggressive composition.
2. Stranded conductors. Here, before tinning, all elements are untwisted so that they can be immersed in rosin. When applying solder, watch all the wiring very carefully, since each one must have a thin layer of it. Before soldering, they are twisted together again, and then acted in the manner described above.
3. Union of copper and aluminum. They cannot be harnessed into one cart: in this case, soldering is impossible. The reason is “incompatibility of characters”: different degrees of thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. This union will inevitably lead to separation - a breakdown in contact. There is an exit. It is the most reliable and simple, shown in the photo.

Any person may need such an operation. The answers to questions about how to use a soldering iron and how to solder wires correctly are not difficult to understand. All you need for success is a good tool, quality materials and what will come soon - experience that needs to be “gained.”

You can see how the whole “live” process happens in this video:

Source: https://dom-i-remont.info/posts/obshhie-voprosy/kak-polzovatsya-payalnikom-ballada-o-tom-kak-pravilno-payat-provoda/